Whippets and frustration yips

[Luckee legs 464]

Hi to all, so I've never owned a whippet before and have encountered an irritating habit that got worse in the last month of ferreting and was wondering if anyone out there has had success minimising noise during ferreting?

So he runs prey silently, almost never barks at home so I was very happy going into his first winter, but.... when the ferret slot machine is not paying out fast enough for his liking he yips at the holes he senses are near the underground action. On top of that, if he runs a bolted rabbit to ground again he persistently barks at the hole while constantly looking at me as if to say "get them ferrets over here mate, I've got one for you"

I've a very experienced collie lurcher who is a dream to ferret with but the whippet seems to make no reference to the good stuff he does. Any ideas on managing this?

[Aussie Whip 4,090]

That's really annoying, I've never had a whippet do that but my Parson male makes a weird whiny noise. I think your whippet should grow out of it with more experience.

[shaaark 10,696]

His first season, mate.  As aussie whip says, he should settle with a bit more experience as he matures.

Nice dog, how old?

[Luckee legs 464]

1 hour ago, shaaark said:

His first season, mate.  As aussie whip says, he should settle with a bit more experience as he matures.

Nice dog, how old?

He's 16 months now

[Black neck 15,858]

2 hours ago, Luckee legs said:

He's 16 months now

Do u always work him along side the lurcher or on his own 

[Luckee legs 464]

1 hour ago, Black neck said:

Do u always work him along side the lurcher or on his own 

Always together, so I don't know how he'd be on his own

[Black neck 15,858]

12 minutes ago, Luckee legs said:

Always together, so I don't know how he'd be on his own

Try Work him on his own ,dogs can act hella crackish when there in competition wi another dog ,get over hyped up and that ,worth a go

[BobDown 747]

Me old beddy lurcher use to give mouth when she run in a wood or any where real rough, she couldn't hang on we a hare but never open up on them, I just put it down to frustration and I never started to young but ever dog different 

[Black neck 15,858]

4 minutes ago, BobDown said:

Me old beddy lurcher use to give mouth when she run in a wood or any where real rough, she couldn't hang on we a hare but never open up on them, I just put it down to frustration and I never started to young but ever dog different 

My beddy does that if ote runs through cover woods ect but never on the lamp 

[Neal 1,857]

I guess that how you deal with it might depend on the reasoning behind it. By this I mean that it could be caused by either frustration (I can't get it) or excitement (I want to get it).

Unlike the majority of dogs mentioned on here, mine very rarely whine in pursuit in woodland (frustration) as that's the only place they're likely to catch . But when they tree a squirrel they sometimes bark (excitement) because they know that will sometimes work to shift the quarry. 

[Black neck 15,858]

8 hours ago, Neal said:

I guess that how you deal with it might depend on the reasoning behind it. By this I mean that it could be caused by either frustration (I can't get it) or excitement (I want to get it).

Unlike the majority of dogs mentioned on here, mine very rarely whine in pursuit in woodland (frustration) as that's the only place they're likely to catch . But when they tree a squirrel they sometimes bark (excitement) because they know that will sometimes work to shift the quarry. 

I have found that a tree tube shaken violently in the direction of the squirrel coupled wi harsh language can at times make them panic and come down even quite high trees 

[bird 9,863]

20 hours ago, Black neck said:

I have found that a tree tube shaken violently in the direction of the squirrel coupled wi harsh language can at times make them panic and come down even quite high trees 

haha  , right with most sighthounds and there xs, its getting them winners on all there quarry , ok might be different up a hares  backside , but with coursing dogs with good breeding they dont panic  they sit back and wait there chance. with rabbits it fast/ quick, so got to put the dog close to berry, so it on the rabbit in seconds, not running  like the waterloo cup thing lol , ok if the dog caught fair few and couple season on it collar . ive been very lucky with my last 2 lurchers both been 1xs , both took rabbits day/ night quite easy, bryn was more just rabbits but Buck  most things, and in woods day/night  god knows how caught stuff at night in there but he did, maybe there got better night time sight than us. now i did have little non ped racing whippet bitch25 years ago , good at  the track, good on rabbits day/night , hung on to few hares as well lol , but same if the rabbits no chance, get the dog on quick.

[Black neck 15,858]

1 hour ago, bird said:

haha  , right with most sighthounds and there xs, its getting them winners on all there quarry , ok might be different up a hares  backside , but with coursing dogs with good breeding they dont panic  they sit back and wait there chance. with rabbits it fast/ quick, so got to put the dog close to berry, so it on the rabbit in seconds, not running  like the waterloo cup thing lol , ok if the dog caught fair few and couple season on it collar . ive been very lucky with my last 2 lurchers both been 1xs , both took rabbits day/ night quite easy, bryn was more just rabbits but Buck  most things, and in woods day/night  god knows how caught stuff at night in there but he did, maybe there got better night time sight than us. now i did have little non ped racing whippet bitch25 years ago , good at  the track, good on rabbits day/night , hung on to few hares as well lol , but same if the rabbits no chance, get the dog on quick.

Wise words brother  

[Neal 1,857]

On 08/04/2023 at 17:43, Black neck said:

I have found that a tree tube shaken violently in the direction of the squirrel coupled wi harsh language can at times make them panic and come down even quite high trees 

Definitely. Sometimes there's nothing you can do to shift them but other times they'll panic at the slightest thing. I've caught several from literally shaking them out of smaller trees. One one occasion, may years ago now, there was one big old oak tree on its own with a good forty or fifty feet to the nearest next trees. I pretended I was going to climb up (even though there were no branches low enough for me to grab hold of) by simply placing my hands on the trunk and lifting my leg up. The squirrel must have thought I'm safer over in those trees than this one on its tod and took a flying jump.

Sometimes I wonder if it's because they've gone up the nearest available tree rather than the one they feel safest in and, if you start walking away but keep an eye on them, they'll come back down again.

[Black neck 15,858]

1 hour ago, Neal said:

Definitely. Sometimes there's nothing you can do to shift them but other times they'll panic at the slightest thing. I've caught several from literally shaking them out of smaller trees. One one occasion, may years ago now, there was one big old oak tree on its own with a good forty or fifty feet to the nearest next trees. I pretended I was going to climb up (even though there were no branches low enough for me to grab hold of) by simply placing my hands on the trunk and lifting my leg up. The squirrel must have thought I'm safer over in those trees than this one on its tod and took a flying jump.

Sometimes I wonder if it's because they've gone up the nearest available tree rather than the one they feel safest in and, if you start walking away but keep an eye on them, they'll come back down again.

Yep and sometimes they won't move just in the top of a hedge regardless of missiles and outrageous language, never tried the mock tree climb tho